442 THESSALONICA. 
CHAP, himself the easy manners and the information 
XI 
. of a gentleman who has been liberally educated. 
Having introduced us to his family, he also 
invited to meet us, a French surgeon, and an- 
other gentleman of the name of Abbott, who is 
called the Father of the Levant Company, bro- 
ther to a merchant whose house we had fre- 
quented at Constantinople. Mr. Abbott desired that 
we would use his house as our home while we 
remained ; and he introduced us to the ladies of 
Visit paid iiis family. Here we found, as at Mr. Charnaucts. 
to another •' 
Merchant, somc affable and pleasing women, seated, after 
the Eastern manner, upon the couches of a divan, 
who entertained us by their vivacity, and great 
curiosity to know all the objects of our journey. 
To our surprise, they amused us with anecdotes 
respecting our friends and acquaintance at Con- 
stantinople; and seemed to be as well acquainted 
with all that had taken place when we were last 
in that city, as if they had actually mingled in 
the society there. Having congratulated them 
upon possessing such cheerfulness, in the midst 
of a city which had been described to us as 
the very centre of contagion, they laughed, 
saying, they never troubled their heads with 
any thoughts of the plague : if it came, they 
Account of must take their chance : that it was confined 
"g"^- principally to the bazars, in the lower part of 
